


Half-life

by Ibenholt, magicgenetek



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: Implied Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-09
Updated: 2013-08-09
Packaged: 2017-12-22 21:02:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/917989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibenholt/pseuds/Ibenholt, https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicgenetek/pseuds/magicgenetek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A meeting between long-lost friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Half-life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Avelera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avelera/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Suffer the Innocent (For Our Mistakes)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/445796) by [Avelera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avelera/pseuds/Avelera), [Ibenholt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibenholt/pseuds/Ibenholt). 



> A birthday present for the always delightful Avelera.

Sannel knew that her dad had been in prison many times. When she had been very little, she had cried about it. Prisons were where bad people went, and she knew that he was not bad. He had kissed her head and told her that it was alright now. He was free, and so was she. They could go wherever they wanted in their ship. He had no plans to be imprisoned ever again.

 

It made her wonder just how angry he would be when he woke up. The room didn’t look like a prison, though. There was dark wood, gold trim and red silk everywhere. The bed was large and full of blankets and pillows. If she ruled out the windows that had boarded shut, and the two guards outside the door, not to mention dad who was lying unconscious and badly hurt in the bed, it would have reminded her of a hotel room.

 

The physician had ruined his shirt while tending to the wounds and the poison in his system. He had cursed about Narn scum and how his job should not be about patching up barbarians. He had become very pale when Sannel started yelling at him in Centauri and finally chased him out. They had to get someone else to look at her arm and her head. This physician was much older, and he mumbled all the way through his work, but he hadn’t been talking to her.

 

The only person who had been civil was a young woman who had brought her food. She wondered if she had been nice because their names were so similar, but smiled back when Senna asked her to extend her thanks to her father for saving the emperor.

 

She had waited for a long time, and ended up eating dad’s portion, too. She had felt so bad that she put her sweets on his side. She had tried to tell him, but had gotten no response. All that was left to do was to wait. She had found the most comfortable chair in the room and turned it around so that she could sit next to him.

 

She had muttered some passages from The Book of G’Quan and grown very curious about the books on the shelf on the other side of the room when she heard the guards talking. The key was put clumsily in the lock, giving her enough time to stand up and guess that the lamp on the nightstand would cause some damage if used right. She didn’t know why she relaxed when she saw that it was the emperor who was standing in the door. She supposed it could be because he was leaning heavily on a crutch.

 

He was a lot older, a lot paler, and a lot greyer than the last time she had seen him. She wondered how she looked to him. Older and scarier, maybe? Did he remember her at all, or was she just another child of a friend?

 

He gave her a nod that was probably intended to be a bow. She returned it.

 

“I thought I should stop by. See how he is doing.” 

 

“He’s breathing, so I’m taking that as a good sign. We sleep to heal ourselves, but I’m still worried.”

 

“Of course. Would you mind some company?”

 

“Not at all.”

 

She put a chair next to her own. He held his hand up when she reached out to help him sit, but only out of pride. He put his crutch down next to him and turned his attention to the unconscious Narn.

 

“Nothing besides breathing?”

 

“No. I thought I heard him talk, but I must have imagined things. I’ve tried to speak to him, but it doesn’t work.”

 

“It does. You just have to be patient. Especially with him. But I don’t suppose I have to tell you that.” 

 

“How is your ankle?”

 

“Who cares about ankles? It’s a small annoyance that I will have to live with for a while. If your father hadn’t been there, I don’t think I would be sitting here. Stubborn bastard.”

 

“I think he meant well.”

 

“He always means well; that’s why I’m angry. I would have finished my speech, gotten shot, and the people would rise up together. The two of you would just have continued your little trip through the universe. Instead he jumps in, takes the shot for me, and you are dragged into the catastrophe as well.”

 

“The universe does as it pleases.”

 

“Yes. I never was on good terms with it, and something tells me that neither will you be for very long.” 

 

“Can you tell me when we’re being executed?”

 

“You’re not.”

 

The lack of shock in his voice made her feel cold. Any contact with the Alliance meant death. Any foreigners who sat foot on Centauri Prime would be killed without question, even if they had just been bombarded by leftover-raiders. They were guilty, and their close ties to the Sheridans was too well-known to even try to deny. It was a wonder that they were still alive.

 

“You did save my life. Even the fools I have for guards understood that after we rewound the tapes many enough times. I just hope you realize that I can’t let you leave.”

 

They looked at one another, but his eyes sank quickly. They were the same color as hers, she noticed. The exact same. Everything else on him was faded. His clothes, his hair and his skin, but those were still bright as Earth’s unclouded sky.

 

“I had to argue the entire Centaurum. It is amazing how little support you can get in my position. But we have a deal now. You and your father are going to stay here as my,” And the emperor’s lips tweaked into a painful smile, “guests. You are not allowed to make contact with anyone outside the palace. If you try to escape, I can do nothing. They will kill you. You are to remain within the palace grounds where I can protect you.”

 

Sannel’s throat went dry. So they were going to play house at gunpoint? A part of her, the part that was still a little girl who didn’t know to watch her mouth, rejoiced. She would be together with papa again! The rest of her felt even colder than before. She was Narn. She treasured her freedom because she knew what would have happened to her if she had been born at the wrong time in the wrong place. She had paid attention to every word dad told her about his time as a slave and as a freedom fighter. She was grateful that she had never had to go through the hardships he had. Now she was going to know what imprisonment was like. And if dad didn’t wake up, she would be alone with no one to guide her through it. 

“He will be furious.”

 

“I know.” The emperor’s pained smile grew wider. “He’ll regret saving me. And he will not be alone.” And it grew wider still, as if he were anticipating a hateful response.

 

“You don’t have to look at me like that,” Sannel said. “I’m glad that he did what he did.”

 

The emperor blinked in surprise, and the awful smile faded to be replaced by surprise. “He has spent his life and yours keeping you away from this planet. Now I’m forcing you to stay here. I’m surprised you haven’t started beating me yet.” He spread his arms as if to show he was a willing target.

 

Sannel shook her head. “I am angry, but not with you. You’ve let us live. I can’t imagine what you must have done or said to make that happen. And I’m flattered, but I couldn’t beat anyone right now.”

She pointed to her broken arm, and then her temple where a cotton ball had been pressed down with gauze tape. When she moved her head quickly to show off her temple, the room spun. She blamed that sudden, unthinking dizziness on the next words that left her.

 

“Besides, I missed you. If nothing else, I’ve gotten the chance to meet you again.”

 

The emperor stared at her, his cheeks coloring, then brought his handkerchief to his mouth and hacked into it. When he spoke, it was with forced casualness. “You were four years old when we met.”

 

“Four and a half,” Sannel corrected. “I have a good memory. Besides, they kept sending news reports about you. I must have seen pictures of you every other week.”

 

“Fah!” He waved his hand to dismiss the news. “One would think they would have more important things to prattle on about.”

 

She snickered, then looked down at her good hand. She didn’t know what else to say. Suddenly, gloved fingers were under her chin and pressed up lightly. He - the emperor - no, her papa looked worried now. He brushed his gloved fingers delicately over her bruised cheek. When he pulled his hand back, he pressed his lips together.

“So you and your father know every boring detail about me. But I know very little about you,” he said softly, cupping her face. “And I like to imagine that you have changed after 12 years.”

Her papa cocked his head to the bed, making his crest bounce. Sannel blinked; had she seen movement in the corner of her eye? Had her father moved? She looked over at him; he looked like he had moved, but he was not moving now.

 

“Are you like him?” her papa rambled on, his eyes never leaving her face. “So attached to the pen that it’s growing into your finger? Or do you have revelations and try to save your less enlightened friends?”

 

There was another wry, pained smile for that last sentence. She knew who her papa meant by the one her father had meant to save. “I’m more of a reader,” she said. “I sing sometimes, but I don’t think I’ve ever helped anyone understand the universe better.” 

 

He opened his mouth to answer, but the guards started speaking again, and they froze. To their relief, it was Senna who peeked in. Her expression turned apologetic when she saw them.

Papa sighed. “Fine. Tell them I’m coming right away.”

 

Senna left, and Papa reached for his crutch. He got up easily and hobbled to the door. He had lifted his hand to open it, but then he turned around.

 

“I missed you. Both of you.”

 

He hacked again, then dabbed at his mouth with his handkerchief. She could see him returning her smile behind his fingers. For the first time, it was truly happy. 

 

“I’ll come back later, if you don’t mind.”

 

He was out the door before she could think of something witty or polite to respond with. She curled up again, only to see her father stir and open his eyes.


End file.
